02/09/2004 8:00 AM ET
AL East analysis: Boston team party

By Tom Singer / MLB.com Buy tickets
The Curt Schilling trade helped to make the Red Sox a more well-rounded team.
(AP Photo) The American League East is MLB's hyper division. You need to stock
up on Dramamine entering the offseason, and this one has been no different in
terms of jarring movement. Among them, the five teams added 40 newcomers to
their 40-man rosters, a 20 percent division-wide turnover.
But is it a case of, the more things change, the more they remain the same? And
the AL East has been uniquely stagnant since 1998, top to bottom: New York,
Boston, Toronto, Baltimore, Tampa Bay.
Or, as comic Steven Wright (a major Red Sox fan, incidentally) says, "Someone
broke into my apartment and rearranged all the furniture ... then they broke in
again and put everything back where it was."
Enter the Hotels.com
Think Spring Sweepstakes

This place will have a familiar look, the Red Sox and Yankees again fighting for
supremacy. But when the lights go out, the Beantowners will have the top bunk.
Given how tight the teams were last season -- "Separated by one swing," as Brian
Cashman puts it -- they improved while the Yankees just changed, although the
Bombers will rage against the dimming of their dynasty.
The other three teams have also unquestionably upgraded. This is a tough crowd,
however, and they have to settle for being spoilers, a role they will play very
well: The heightened competition will prevent the AL Wild Card from again coming
out of the East.
Favorite
---------------------------------
Boston Red Sox
Looking for meaning in their careers, Curt Schilling, Keith Foulke, Pokey Reese
and others have been drawn to Boston by the opportunity to be remembered for
pushing the Red Sox over the top. Which begs the question, when did Fenway Park
become a Mecca in the search for professional fulfillment? With so much
invested, both financially and emotionally, they can't afford to flop.
Biggest ST challenge: Make Nomar Garciaparra feel welcome, which may sound like
an absurdity considering he's been the team's most recognizable face for seven
years. But that was before A-Rodgate.
Best position battles: Pokey Reese, who was supposed to precede Todd Walker (he
was a Red Sox for two days in the winter of 2001-02), instead succeeds him. Or,
at least, has first dibs on it. But he'll have to prove better than a couple of
insurance policies also brought in, Tony Womack and Mark Bellhorn.
Spring outlook: Six-week dress rehearsal for what is expected to be a smash hit.
Yes, even bigger than No, No Nanette, for you curse theorists.
Projected regular-season finish: 105-57, AL East champions.
Challengers
---------------------------------
New York Yankees
Ordinarily leading the siege, the Yankees now are the ones circling the wagons.
And they absolutely appear to love being in the "Show me!" position. Their
winter of discontent, not to mention a World Series title drought of three
years, gives them ample motivation. Joe Torre and pitching coach Mel
Stottlemyre, in what many concede will be their farewell seasons, will apply
their combined genius to going out as winners.
Biggest ST challenge: Finding a comfort level with the new rotation. The Yankees
are the first team in 100 years to lose three 15-game winners (Andy Pettitte,
David Wells, Roger Clemens) in one offseason. Javier Vazquez, Kevin Brown, Jon
Lieber must give early indications they can carry the load.
Best position battles: Post-Aaron Boone, third base is a hotly-contested corner,
with a quorum of contenders. Kenny Lofton blows in as the new center fielder,
but Bernie Williams is motivated to stand in his way.
Spring outlook: On pins and needles. Lieber's health? Alfonso Soriano's head? Is
there a third baseman in the house?
Projected regular-season finish: 92-70, second place.
Toronto Blue Jays
In any other division, the Blue Jays would be feared. Here, they are part of the
background, which could work to their advantage. The Jays have built on the good
feeling of a strong finish (17 wins in the last 23 games) with finishing touches
to the pitching staff. Needing no help was an offense led by the Majors' most
productive tandem -- Carlos Delgado and Vernon Wells produced more runs (422)
last season than any other teammates.
Biggest ST challenge: Getting a read on which direction Eric Hinske is headed.
The 2002 Rookie of the Year's production was about halved last season, along
with a 36-point dip in his average. Temporary sophomore jinx, or trend?
Best position battles: Incumbent Woodward and newcomer Gomez may Chris-cross at
short. It's an all-comers fight for the job of back-up catcher, which could
prove critical, considering the starter (Greg Myers) is 38.
Spring outlook: Low-key. Will keep fingers pressed to lips. With a rotation of
Doc Halladay, Miguel Batista, Pat Hentgen and Ted Lilly ready to ride the
offense, they don't want the secret to get out.
Projected regular-season finish: 91-71, third place.
Dark horse
---------------------------------
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
An intriguing team because of all the tight games (an amazing 89 decided by one
or two runs) in Lou Piniella's break-in season, the D-Rays can make serious
noise if they find enough needles in the haystack they've gathered: 20 new Major
League vets in camp, including non-roster invitees.
The foundation is already solid enough to ... well, the Mets averaged 105 losses
before winning a World Series, and Piniella has his own history in this vein. He
took over a Mariners team with 15 losing seasons in its 16-year history, and had
them in the playoffs in three years. Ask the Marlins: Dreams grow along with
those oranges in Florida.
Biggest ST challenge: Find something for Lance Carter to do. Will last season's
rookie All-Star closer be happy and/or useful enough setting up new fireman
Danys Baez? Or should serious thought be given to trying him in the rotation? In
his most recent turn in that gig, with Triple-A Durham in 2002, Carter was 12-2
with a 2.80 ERA and ridiculous control (12 walks in 132 innings).
Best position battles: Nos. 3-5 starters. Victor Zambrano and Jeremi Gonzalez
are set atop the rotation, then there's a scrum among a half-dozen big-league
vets. New pitching coach Chuck Hernandez will have some long nights.
Spring outlook: High-traffic and high hopes.
Projected regular-season finish: 78-84, fourth place.
Maybe next year
---------------------------------
Baltimore Orioles
The Bird-call has attracted some very impressive offensive help, more than
enough to reverse an attendance tailspin and again make the Orioles a hot
entertainment ticket. But, reality check: Seven-game winner Rodrigo Lopez is
your No. 2? Yep, a team assembled by former pitchers Mike Flanagan and Jim
Beattie is ironically short on that end.
Biggest ST challenge: Become Lee Mazzilli's team. The new manager has to sell
his approach: a little more vocal, quite a bit more demonstrative, far more
aggressive between the lines.
Best position battles: Second base. Satisfied with his progress and still
smitten with his potential, the Orioles are again leaning to Jerry Hairston. But
Brian Roberts, who hit .270 and stole 23 bases while starting 105 games there
last season, won't go away.
Spring outlook: Tense, as they come to grips with the fact they pretty much
forgot about that 80 percent of the game.
Projected regular-season finish: 74-88, fifth place.
Fearless predictions
---------------------------------
1) Hostilities between them will escalate so much, the United Nations' Security
Council will add two new members, Boston and New York.
2) For the first time in nine years, the AL MVP will come out of the East:
Carlos Delgado. The last MVP from the division was Mo Vaughn!
3) The division race will be so nerve-wracking, Terry Francona will grow hair
over it.
Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval
of Major League Baseball or its clubs.




---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Finance: Get your refund fast by filing online

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]